The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for performing a fair card play in which the shuffling and distribution of cards can be effectuated by computer. A printout of a pre-determined sequence corresponding to the well-shuffled deck is made prior to the play of game, and is concealed from the players to prohibit intentional cheating. The method and apparatus can therefore be used to ensure fair play.
Games of chance are often based on the assumption of the equal likelihood of events. If a card is picked from a deck, most would say that one card, for example the three of clubs, is just as likely to be chosen as any other card, such as the eight of diamonds. Experience has shown that actually all cards are equally likely to be chosen from a well shuffled deck, so that the assumption of equal likelihood holds.
Card games based on electronic devices are widely known. During the processing of these games, each of the processing steps is monitored by computer programs which can be designed to favor the computer itself. Therefore, a really fair game cannot be achieved from the players' viewpoint.
In the hand shuffling or manual distribution of cards, unfair play is even more likely to occur by intentional cheating or unavoidable error. Take black jack, a card game also known as twenty-one, for example. It is played with a standard deck, by two or more persons, against a dealer (banker). The object is to obtain a hand counting equal to or over 17 and preferably 21, or as close as possible to 21 without going over. Aces count 1 or 11, face cards 10, and other cards their face value. To begin with, each player is dealt one card face down and makes his bet. He then receives a card face up. He may "hold" with two cards or draw more, one at a time. If he goes over 21, he pays the dealer. The dealer draws last and only loses to hands closer to 21 than his own. Two cards totaling 21 form a "natural", or "blackjack", for which the dealer either collects or pays double.
From the above description, it will therefore be readily acknowledged that the manual shuffling, distribution, and drawing of cards inevitably leave the game open to intentional cheating or unintentional error making black jack and similar games of chance inherently unfair. During actual playing with cards, in order to obviate the above unfairness, usually the presumably well-shuffled deck or cards are placed on for example a table instead of being held by the dealer so that players can clearly observe the cards throughout the play process. However, as long as the cards per se are utilized, a certain form of cheating like cooperation between the dealer and one of the players is possible with regard to intentional cheating, such that a fair card game may not be achieved (or at least a player can never be sure that the card game in which he is participating is fair).